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former lurker turned newbie seeks help

post #1 of 14
Thread Starter 
Hello one and all - I've enjoyed reading posts since my arrival here, entirely serendipitously (?), some weeks ago. This is my story fwiw. I've recently recovered from pneumonia and pleurisy which had me hospitalised and near dead for a while - since rediscovering life I've also rediscovered scent with an acuity I never knew before: in the past, i'd wear whatever people bought me for birthdays and Christmas, but now I'm getting more selective. I only own a handful of smells - Mechant Loup, Cologne Mure et Musc, Happy, Dreamer, Hammam Bouquet (probably my fave frag of all time - or until I sniff something new) and Jo Malone's 154, A&L and Pomegranate Noir. I kind of need to develop a wish list...

could any of you delightful chaps suggest... oh if you like that, you'll love... or ... You have an X gap in what you own... fill it with Y and Z.

Take for granted that I'm really into L'Artisan stuff - where should I head next with them, and where else with whoever else,

Ta to one and all.
post #2 of 14
Welcome to Basenotes!!! It's good to hear you made a sound recovery. You're collection is off to a nice start. You went straight to the artisnal stuff without going much for designer. In my case, I started off with designer and only now am I exploring the niche side of fragrance.

If you're into L'artisan, then might I suggest you sample Passage d'Enfer, Voleur de Roses, and Tea for Two. I don't know how they compare to Merchant Loup though since I've yet to try that one yet.

Bois Farine sounds like an interesting one as well (many say it smells like peanut butter at first). Dzing! is also on my "to try" list since the thought of sawdust, candied leather, and the circus sparks my curiosity. L'artisan has a lot to offer so keep sampling so you could narrow down the options to the ones you really like. So far I really like Passage d'Enfer and Tea for Two. They're a bit similar but also different enough to warrant owning both.

There's so many to try out so you just have to take some risks. You could minimize these risks of course by ordering sample vials rather than buying big bottles blind. It's good to have you aboard. Cheers Â*
post #3 of 14
Teflondog beat me to the punch.

The two i was going to suggest were Bois Farine and Tea for Two.
I totally agree with the Passage d'Enfer recommendation as well.

Jeff

Oh yeah. Welcome to Basenotes.
post #4 of 14
Thread Starter 
Tea For Tw9o, Voleur and Bois Farine are all top of my list - a good friend of mine wears Passage D'Enfer and I don't wish to steal...

Any designers that might be must haves? Gucci PH? M7? Mugler?
post #5 of 14
Since you like L'Artisan, you should try these: Passage d'Enfer & Voleur de Roses. I really like both of them a lot. Welcome to Basenotes!
post #6 of 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by leopoldo

Tea For Tw9o, Voleur and Bois Farine are all top of my list - a good friend of mine wears Passage D'Enfer and I don't wish to steal...

Any designers that might be must haves? Gucci PH? M7? Mugler?

Gucci PH is nice but I really prefer the Comme des Garcons incense series more. Maybe you should check out Jaisalmer and Kyoto. Another good CdG worth trying is Sequoia. It is in my top 5 and seems to be highly regarded by many here. Good luck!
post #7 of 14
Welcome to Basenotes, Leopoldo!
I'm happy for your "rebirth"! Indeed, nice wardrobe for a newbye.
I second previous suggestions about L'Artisan Voleur de Roses and Bois Farine and suggest you to try also Navegar as seems you like vetiver (ML).
About Designer scents I suggest you to start trying some classics like Chanel Egoiste, YSL Opium PH, Paco Rabanne PH, etc...
post #8 of 14
Ole' chap, do not get carried away on the niche/artisanal side of things, indulge in some work of art from the venerable house of Caron & Guerlain.

Caron - Poivre, Tabac Blond, En Avion, Royal Bain de Caron, L'anarchiste & Yatagan.

Guerlain - Mitsouko, Jicky, Chamade, Habit rouge, Heritage & Coriolan.

Once you've sampled these lot, you'll begin to see things differently...
post #9 of 14
Thread Starter 
Thanks all - great ideas - keep em coming

Now for the CDG series stuff... where to get? I'm in the UK - I guess that means the London CDG store?
post #10 of 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by leopoldo

Thanks all - great ideas - keep em coming

Now for the CDG series stuff... Â*where to get? I'm in the UK - I guess that means the London CDG store?

The CDG range is present at Liberty's on Regent street, but do yourself a favour, visit Roja Dove's Haute Perfumerie on the 5th floor of Harrods in Knightsbridge, i'll be posting details of my visit when I get a few spare moments. This is the best perfume enclave I've ever seen in my life & believe me I've seen a few.
post #11 of 14
Thread Starter 
Well, after a tootle around Liberty and Harrods, and buying everone except next door's dog a Diptyque candle for Christmas, I've now gone crazy on the scent front - hit the 22 mark. loved the CDG stuff - bought 3 incense and Sequoia. Loved Arabie on first sniff, even though I'll prbably never wear it. Went crazy with L'Artisan - Dzing, T42, Voleur, Bois Farine.

now to swap all the debt to a 0% credit card... Ouch.

My sillage is amazing I reckon, though pretty damn confusing with all the strips still in my pocket...
post #12 of 14
Welcome!
Glad to see you made a wondrous recovery!!!!

Looks like you are pretty selective with your frags, that's good.

I'm thinking that since you like Mure et Musc, you might like Xeryus with the unusual berry note in Xeryus. It is berry-fresh to start and then dies down to a sandalwood type of fragrance, at least on me.

Beyond that, for some reason I am clueless with recommendations.

I still have to try Hammam Bouquet, but I hear that it is excellent. How would you describe the fragrance?
K
post #13 of 14
Thread Starter 
Wow, it's a tough one to describe. I tried this the other day - take an overgrown English garden in august, just about to turn for Autumn - the roses have gone wild and most are fading. In the middle of it are a group of ladies, their bygone scents mingling with the the arome of fertility and decay. There's a hint of spice in the air - perhaps it's just the prickle of electricity from a storm about to kick in....

Pretentious, moi?

Really, there's little hammamy about it to my nose, but it is beautiful - sometimes smells totally feminine and at other times something else altogether. I can't pin it down, mainly cos I'm currently swamped by the smells on me after a day of testing stuff out...
post #14 of 14
Leopoldo-
Thanks for the vivid description!
K
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